Here in Northwest Arkansas, camping is kind of a big deal. If you live in Fayetteville, or anywhere else in the breathtakingly beautiful Ozark mountains, being into the outdoors is pretty much a given. I mean, how can you witness so much beauty in nature and not want to go explore it? Or just be surrounded by it? Whether you’ve only been camping a time or two or you consider yourself a seasoned vet, you might recognize a few of these personalities from your camping experiences. Our team here at Adventure Subaru came up with a list of 11 different types of people you’re likely to find at a campsite. Check them out below, and see if you can assign any of these roles to your best camping buddies.
The Group Parent
Everyone has that friend that’s considered the Mom or Dad of the squad. It’s that one person that magically has everything you could possibly need in their backpack — snacks and band-aids included. The group might poke a little fun at the den mom or dad — especially when they’re reminding everyone to apply sunscreen and bug spray — but it’s always out of love. Even the most hardened veterans appreciate a good granola bar every once in awhile. Plus, it’s nice to know someone’s looking out for your safety.
The Early Bird
No matter how late the group stays up exploring, singing and chatting around the campfire, you can almost guarantee that at least one person in the group will be up with sun. You know the one. When you lazily unzip your tent to let the morning light pour in, thinking you got up early this time... the early bird is already sitting there with a mug of instant coffee, whittling a walking stick in preparation for the day’s adventures. It’s admirable, really.
The Certified Outdoorsman
Also sometimes referred to as the “caveman”, this person knows their way around the campsite — and the woods surrounding it, too. This is the friend you can count on to start a fire even when you lose the lighter, and they probably have some kind of certification to prove it. The caveman is a great person to have around if you get lost, because chances are they will be able to find their way to back and make sure everyone survives the journey. Survival is totally their thing, so don’t be surprised if they insist on pointing out every source of drinkable water within a 10-mile radius. They can tie some pretty intense knots too, which is cool.
The Novice
Ah, the novice. There’s nothing wrong with being new to the whole camping thing. You have to start somewhere, right? But let’s be honest. If you are new and you’re going out with a group of experienced nature dwellers, it’s probably going to be fairly obvious. There’s nothing wrong with that either, of course… as long as you own it! The novice should know when to ask questions, when to take advice, and when to claim their novice status. Don’t be that guy that pretends to be an experienced camper but packs only a flashlight and playing cards. It’s just not a good look. Otherwise, newcomers welcome!
The Festival-Goer
It’s generally pretty easy to spot the festival-loving folks. You might know them by their novelty sunnies, their beaded PLUR bracelets, the tapestries they brought to use as blankets and headwraps, or their trancey music that’s never not playing. These people go camping to connect with the earth through music, which they will insist on playing and dancing to all day and all night. There’s no time to sleep when you’re grooving to the beat! These campers might seem a little extra at times, but they’re usually pretty chill, and the might just introduce you to your next favorite DJ.
The Couple
Sure, there might be more than one couple in your group, but there’s always that one duo that gets pinned as the couple because they’re just completely into each other and they like to put their love on display, man. You can count on a lot of casual cuddling, arm-wrapping, random giggling and forehead kisses. The couple can be referred to as a single unit. More often than not, the couple is a great friend of the group and they’re an important part of the squad — but sometimes it still feels like they’d rather be camping alone. Oh well, it’s all good in the woods as long as everyone does their part!
The Frightened One
This type of camping personality could overlap with some of the others, like the novice, but it still deserves its own category. The frightened one is exactly what it sounds like: the person in your tribe that gets scared of every little thing, from the tiniest of insects, to the rustling bushes just past camp, to the buzzards flying overhead. If one of those birds swoops down too close to where the frightened one is hanging out, you might want to cover your ears in preparation for an overdramatic scream, likely accompanied by a dance-like movement that could be mistaken for a stress-fueled mating ritual. Whatever you do, just don’t let the frightened one go into the woods alone with the adrenaline junkie.
The Adrenaline Junkie
At first glance, the adrenaline junkie might seem to have a lot in common with the certified outdoorsman, but there are typically some pretty big differences. Unlike the caveman, the adrenaline junkie might not know much about nature or camping at all. They would not be the person to lean on in a survival scenario… in fact, they might be the last person to lean on in that situation. What they do have going for them is that they’re always seeking adventure and they won’t let anything stand in their way. They’re likely to jump into unknown waters in the middle of the night, swing from vines that may or may not hold them, jump off cliffs without checking the depth of the water below, and try to catch nearby snakes with their hands. They’re a great person to have around because they definitely keep things interesting, and they might even help push you out of your comfort zone a little bit. Unless you’re the camp parent of course, then they might just make you nervous.
The Animal Lover
The animal lover at your campsite might be known as a number of things: Snow White, the natural hippie, the vegan… ultimately though, it all boils down to that person’s compassion for animals and their gentle fearlessness when it comes to nature. The adrenaline junkie and the certified outdoorsman might be just as brave when it comes to the wild things, but the animal lover has mad respect for those creatures, too. These people have no problem letting beetles and spiders crawl on their skin, they’re likely to beckon any mammals that approach the campsite, and they’re definitely going to feed the ducks all your bread; so keep it close if you don’t want it to become a peace offering. Oh, and don’t kill anything in front of them if you don’t want it to end in either tears or super uncomfortable confrontation.
The Glamper
Where the novice doesn’t bring enough necessary camping supplies, the glamper brings way too much unnecessary “camping” stuff. If there’s one in your group, they won’t be hard to spot. They’ll be the person that brings a full-on blow-up mattress instead of a sleeping bag, complete with their favorite silk pillow and sleeping mask. Don’t be alarmed if they pull out their portable foot spa after a day of hiking, or insist on falling asleep to a movie playing on their laptop screen. They can be pretty funny to camp with, and every once in a while one of their silly camping accessories proves to be an ingenious hack. But if they insist on using the electric stove they brought to make smores on, it’s probably okay to kick them out of your campsite at that point. Oh come on, we’re kidding....
Photo by: Gavin Whitner, musicoomph.com
The Jam Fam
Not to be confused with the festival-goers, the jam fam is a group of musical campers that can’t resist the urge to jam when they’re together. They’re usually a bit more hands-on than the festival folks, opting to play and sing their own songs rather than just listen and dance to it. One of their favorite things to do is to sit around the fire with a couple guitars and maybe a mandolin or a ukulele, harmonizing to something everyone knows. You can expect to hear some Beatles or Bob Dylan tunes at some point, and maybe even an original song if the jam sesh is received well. It’s musical medicine, my dudes.
If you’re in need of a Subaru to take you on all your future camping trips, come check out our vast selection here at Adventure Subaru in Fayetteville. We can guide you through all the different models and help you find something perfect for your lifestyle, whether you’re the adrenaline junkie or the frightened one. Fill out our contact form here!
